Goal - Make an awesome bus stop.

Status - Accomplished.

While approaching this task, we tried to think about what we would most enjoy at a bus stop. Comfortable seating is obvious. Maybe something to read. Warmth, something to drink, and an improved aesthetic. Unfortunately, it has been dropping to that wonderful number 0 degrees lately, so any drinks left behind would likely explode, which wouldn't be good at all. I also very much doubt a blanket would a) be used by casual bus stop goers and b) not be stolen in an hour or less. Plus blankets are expensive. So we nixed both ideas.
That left us with seating, reading, and aesthetic. So we went shopping/trash-picking.

We managed to get everything we needed for about $11.50 each, which is below the $30 total budget we set for ourselves.
We got a small table, a curtain, a nice poster I'd inherited from a room mate who dissapeared, a throw rug, some books from my personal library. There was an awesome deal on a couch at our local thrift store. It was a wonderful black beauty (picture included below) for only 20 dollars. I was strongly considering picking it up for myself! But we had no way to carry it at the time, so we headed home to borrow a van, pick up my books and poster, and grab some twine and scissors (which I expected to need). You always end up needing twine and scissors. Luckily I had the high-quality, brand name Bag-O-Twine I'd gotten for Christmas ready to go!

By the time we returned the next day, only a gap remained where that wonderful couch had once sat. I wandered around, lost, secretly hoping someone had just moved it, but alas. I still weep for the awesomeness that almost was. Jen, quickly getting over the disappointment, grabbed some chairs and threw them in the van. Ready to head off, I paid her my share of the bill with bills from my wallet/icebox, two fives encased in a solid block of ice. Attempts to smash it open were not successful, and she ultimately decided just to let it thaw.

Struck by inspiration on the way to the city, I pulled into a Shaws and picked up a cute little ivy plant. We were hoping to spend even less than the $3 it cost, but it was worth it. It really brought everything together, in my opinion.

Finding the bus stop proved more time consuming than expected. We wanted a covered bus stop that didn't already have its own seating. We'd seen a good candidate in an earlier about-town, but we were... lost at the time, and unable to rediscover it. Eventually, though, we found the perfect stop! No seating, but a VERY obvious need for it, judging by the piled milk crates people were making use of. Not wanting to insult whoever had done the favour of bringing the crates by, we built around it rather than moving it. More seating is always better anyways.

We pulled out the chairs and table when people started coming to the stop. Since other people terrify Jen :-P, and I didn't feel like asking people to move so I could tie posters, we headed back to the van to observe. We also tried to get gas, but the money in my anti-wallet was still wet and they refused to take it so we paid in change. We did notice the chairs were appreciated. People even sat on the table! When the bus picked up the dozen people who had been waiting, we headed back. While putting up the poster a number of cop cars pulled up to the curb. Terrified, we quickly snapped pictures of the work we had completed so far (everything but the poster, books, and bottom securing the curtain). Luckily, these cops had no desire to bother us, as they were busy swarming the house next door. Thank you drug dealer / domestic abuser / suspected criminal of some sort! Without your distraction, Jen would likely have died from embarrassment after an encounter with the policecops!

So we finished up, took some pictures, and headed home. I'll be stopping by later to see how its holding up.

Update:
Returning to the bus stop a day and a half later... disaster. It was stripped clean. Gone were the chairs, the curtain, the table, the books, the plant, the poster, and one of the milk crates.

One of the milkcrates! (and only one!) I just I don't understand. At least they left the throw rug. So people can, I dunno... stand more comfortably? Hopefully people enjoyed it while it lasted and some rat bastard is now thoroughly enjoying they're misappropriated Mononoke poster. I stole it first, you hooligans! Have some decency, at least give it a couple days before you sneak off with it!

I can only hope that wherever she is, the poor ivy plant is at least being properly cared for. The rest was expected, I was just hoping it would take a bit longer.